its all a bit confusing after all BMC designed the Maxi and that was notorious for being crap and the gear cables stretching.... and I've never understood NASA selling their branded products through Halfords, though I guess the vacant stare you sometimes get has something to do with space

The BMC Lamborghini, the Colnago Ferrari and the Factor Aston Martin are all good bikes, if completely mental in the case of the Factor. BMW and Porsche have tried several times, Hummer had a go. They were all shit.

Because fools and their money are easily parted. They're trying to cash in on all the MAMILS with cash who are buying posh cars by trying to sell them an overpriced bike too. There is also a positive association with the technology of modern bikes and cars which the manufacturers want to make a link with. Also some people are sad - if they've got a Ferrari they want a Ferrari cap, sunglasses, jacket, ballpoint pen made from braided brake hose, a wall clock made from a Ferrari brake disk. Porsche even make a Porsche branded sledge and from that Top Gear episode, a Porsche branded smoking pipe.

Land Rover do/did a load of BSOs, overpriced if not completely hopeless. They at least went for the <£500 end of the market, not the >£5k.

The problem with the ones I've seen is that car manufacturers think they can apply their 'automotive engineering' or whatever to a bike. Then forget how much things like weight matter. We had a Porsche FS bike in once, it weighed over 40lbs. Big yellow thing with huge triple clamp forks and tri spoke wheels. But totally inappropriate for anything other than XC. Probably 15 years old now.

Kirkpatrick MacMillan only invented the pedal bicycle in 1835 - but yes, Peugeot were making bikes long before they made cars. As did Humber, Triumph, etc. Many companies started off making bicycles and moved into motorbikes and cars.

I've also owned a Peugeot, a 10 speed road bike in the eighties. Tbh they weren't really the kind of thing I had in mind- I was thinking of Porsche and Mercedes. The only time I've seen one of those out on the trails was at Coed y Brenin and the guy looked very self conscious and defensive!